


We're Invincible in a Violet Sea

by MonaWrites



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 106 coda, Episode Tag, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonaWrites/pseuds/MonaWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You slept at Magnus’ place?” she asks, a high note in her voice betraying her nonchalance.</p><p>Alec can’t look at her. “Didn’t do much sleeping.”</p><p>“Really?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Invincible in a Violet Sea

**Author's Note:**

> a 106 coda, inspired by the 107 promo dialogue between Alec and Izzy.  
> title from Ruelle's "Where do we go from here".  
> there are some references to "The Course of True Love [and First Dates]" and "Kissed". you'll know when you see them.
> 
> also i don't own the characters or anything ok tho i'd like to own matthew daddario's pretty butt

[There's no place to call our own,  
like a drifting haze we roam.]

 

“Stay for just one more drink? And then decide.”

 

Alec decided.

 

Maryse’s voice was loud in his head, but he pushed it away and took the drink that Magnus was offering, feeling a light tingle in his fingertips when they brushed Magnus’. The latter smiled, and Alec smiled back (he couldn’t stop smiling, and it wasn’t _right_ ) as he played with the rim of the fancy glass.

 

Magnus took a seat; Alec just stood there, a nervous wreck trembling like a leaf in the wind. The warlock gestured at a very comfortable sofa, velvet-y and dark red. With his fingers, he made a luring motion, and the sofa slid a few inches closer, slightly bumping Alec’s knees. “Please,” he said still gesturing at the sofa.

 

Alec nodded, made an unintelligent sound (he wanted to say thank you; he doesn’t think he succeeded at it) and sat down. He shifted, looking down at his drink; he remembered the magical flames that Magnus had conjured, and how pretty they were. Magic wasn’t supposed to be pretty; Alec had read in hundreds of books that magic was extremely dangerous and a very serious matter. Nowhere had he read that magic could be that pretty.

 

Or impressive, like the energy flowing through Magnus’ fingers when he moved an _entire_ loft to another place and redecorated it at the very same time.

 

Alec knew he was powerful; he was the High Warlock of Brooklyn. He owned that title for a good reason. Magnus was respected, feared – his magic could do terrible, terrible things…

 

Imaginary flames –blue, white, some red and the slightest hint of yellow– danced in front of Alec’s eyes.

 

He shifted again.

 

“I get the feeling you don’t actually want to be here, Alexander.”

 

Magnus’ voice shook him awake. He was smiling at him, but his eyes were digging into his soul, incredibly gentle and honest, just like when he pronounced those heavy, incandescent words.

 

_I wanted to see you again._

 

Alec suppressed a shiver. “Wha—no, I mean, _yes_ , I want to. It’s just—“

 

He struggled to find the right words:

 

_This is a mistake. I shouldn’t like you._

_This is wrong._

_I’m supposed to get married._

 

Magnus raised an eyebrow at his silence.

 

“My mother is going to kill me,” he said at last, not completely lying though feeling a little guilty that Magnus didn’t know half of the story. “She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

 

“Ah, the good, ol’Maryse,” Magnus sighed. His eyes left Alec and got lost somewhere behind him. “She hasn’t changed a bit, I see.”

 

Alec hummed in agreement. He searched for Magnus’ eyes again, but they were still floating above Alec’s shoulder.

 

“So, was it?” Magnus asked, not looking at him.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Unseemly, what your mother asked you to?”

 

She used her commander voice when she spoke to him ( _I need you at the Institute. Jace and that Fairchild girl are still missing and the Clave is not happy_ ) and he knew he was in trouble for leaving the Institute without telling anyone, but somehow it didn’t matter that much, to be completely honest.

 

He shrugged. “Nothing unusual.”

 

“Your furrowed brow tells me another thing.”

 

Alec opened his mouth.

 

_I don’t want to get married._

 

He closed it again.

 

Magnus was looking at him, and for the first time, Alec couldn’t read him. “Alexander, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” he said, leaning forward and closing the distance between them. How were they so close? Alec felt like a caged animal in front of those eyes. “I do not wish to step into your boundaries, you must know that.”

 

Alec felt his mouth go dry.

 

Magnus continued. “You just look—upset. And exhausted.”

 

 _That’s because I’m fucking tired of being a puppet._ Alec swallowed his bitterness and said, “I am. Both.”

 

For a brief moment, Magnus looked conflicted. His index finger swirled above his whiskey glass, refilling it until the amber liquid reached the top. “Would you like to go?” he asked.

 

“No,” Alec said, because it was the truth. “No, I don’t want to go.”

 

Magnus took a sip from his glass. “May I ask why?”

 

_No one has ever looked at me like that._

 

Alec bit his tongue. “I—I’m not sure.”

 

“Hm,” Magnus said against the rim of his drink. “That’s not the answer of a Lightwood; then again, you aren’t like the rest of them.”

 

“O… _kay_?”

 

“Your sister, she is a Lightwood, of course,” Magnus continued. “And Maryse is what every Lightwood has ever been, but you—“ his eyes swiped Alec from the head to his toes. “You are something else.”

 

Alec felt his mouth twitch.

 

He fought it with every fiber of his being.

 

“I’m sorry,” Magnus apologized, clearing his throat. “The last thing I want to do is—”

 

“Don’t apologize,” Alec said. “It’s me, I’m—“

 

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Alexander.”

 

This time, Alec let the smile win, but he didn’t dare looking at Magnus; it was dangerous the way he made him feel; it was unwise to let him _see_.

 

With a swift movement, Magnus stood up and offered a hand to Alec. “Walk with me,” he said.

 

Alec didn’t even hesitate. He took his hand, and the voices came back—those whispers crawling at the back of his head, asking him _what is this, who is this, this is wrong, Lightwood, get away from him—no, don’t let him go, keep him close,_ making him blink several times and shake his head to stop shivering like a scared animal.

 

Magnus looked at him the whole time. He didn’t say a word about it. Instead, he led Alec through a hall, lines and lines of books covering every surface, making the air thick and musky. Magnus’ cologne filled Alec’s nostrils and it went up to his head.

 

“Everything all right?” Magnus asked.

 

Alec tightened his grip around Magnus’ forearm. “Dizzy,” he said. “Tired. I feel like the room is spinning.”

 

“I didn’t know Shadowhunters were such light-weights”, Magnus teased. “Had I known, I’d had given you apple juice instead of my very unique and expensive booze.”

 

 _It’s not the alcohol, warlock_. “We don’t drink,” Alec retorted. “And I’m sorry, I should have—“

 

Magnus made a dismissive gesture. “It’s okay. I stole it. Here, just around this corner.”

 

They reached an empty room. It was fairly familiar, but with the redecoration, Alec couldn’t place it.

 

“I’d like to show you something,” Magnus said, his hand covering Alec’s like a satin glove. “If you let me, of course.”

 

Alec blurted out a _yes_ without a second thought. Magnus’ smile fought to grow wider but lost the battle. “Do you have a happy place?” he asked.

 

“A what?”

 

“A place to go when things get ugly,” Magnus said. “Me, I love space, especially the sight of the Swan Nebula. And this tiny bistro in the outskirts of Paris, just delightful.”

 

“I’ve never been to Paris before.” Alec hadn’t been to the space before, either, but he didn’t say that.

 

Magnus gave him a look that shattered Alec from the inside. “Remind me to take you there next weekend. So,” he chirped. “Happy place?”

 

Alec shifted. His thumb stroked Magnus’ palm. “I’m not sure?”

 

He missed Idris, but that wasn’t—he didn’t ache to be there. Max was already here; his whole family was here. He thought of his bedroom, somewhat boring and similar to every room in the Institute. He thought of the roof, but sometimes Jace’d meet him there, and his head would get fuzzy. He took a deep breath, and his lungs were filled with the spice from the rugs and wooden walls, the dust from the ancient books, Magnus’ perfume that smelled like leaves and parchment, with just a hint of moon dust.

 

_Did all the warlocks smell the same?_

 

“I like the woods,” he said. “But I haven’t—It’s been a while.”

 

Magnus made an approving sound. “Take my other hand, close your eyes and picture it.”

 

Alec obeyed, and it scared him how easy it was to link his fingers between Magnus’. He gulped down, and focused on his combat boots. He shut his eyes closed and started reciting, “The trees are thick, so thick that the sun rays can’t go through—“

 

“Don’t tell me,” Magnus interrupted. “In your head.”

 

Alec did it, and his nose could smell wet grass and the musk from the trees. The hot flames that were licking his body were replaced with a chilling sensation dancing on top of his nape. He could hear wood cringing, the unmistakable sound of branches shivering against each other, water flowing somewhere, a goddamn _owl_.

 

Alec didn’t dare to open his eyes. His voice was rough when he used it. “Magnus, what—what did you _do_?”

 

“You can open them, you know?”

 

The woods surrounding them weren’t familiar to Alec. He hadn’t been to many forests, in real life; when he was little, his father took him to practice once or twice, and hadn’t let him wander by himself. He climbed a tree, fell, broke his arm - Maryse didn’t let him go again. Alec cried a lot that day, but he obeyed his mother, and forgot all about the woods. When the iratze kicked in and his arm went back to its original place, some high-tech simulators replaced the trees.

 

Opening his eyes to so much wildness was like a punch in the gut.

 

The sun could barely trespass the thick layers of leaves. They were almost in the dark, holding hands, _so close_.

 

“Magnus, you—“

 

“You have a beautiful mind palace, Alexander Lightwood,” he noted. “Where’s this, exactly? Japan?”

 

“I don’t know. I just imagined it.”

 

Magnus made a curious sound. “Huh. I’ve never done that before. It’s very realistic, if you ask me. Are you sure you’ve—“

 

“It’s what it came to my mind, nothing else.”

 

The warlock nodded, and looked down at their intertwined hands. Alec did the same, and was amazed to see his own alabaster skin against the tanned hand of Magnus, his fingers filled with rings and precious gems. Alec’s stomach did a flip when he thought of the meaning of them.

 

“Would you like to sit?” Magnus asked, lowering himself to the ground. “It’s your happy place, after all.”

 

Maryse’s voice rumbled in Alec’s ears. _I need to go. This is wrong_. “Just for a little bit.”

 

Magnus’ smile made Alec feel his stomach doing the flip and other sorts of gymnastics.

 

“You shouldn’t be wasting your magic in this,” Alec said once he was settled next to Magnus. “You’ve exerted yourself enough—“

 

“So you’ve said,” Magnus interrupted him, “but I wanted to give you a little something, as a thank-you kind of present.”

 

Alec side-glanced at him “Why?”

 

“For coming to help us,” he said, looking into the woods, “and trusting me with your Strength. Not every Shadowhunter would give his angelic powers to a Downworlder to help _another_ Downworlder. So, thank you.”

 

Alec could feel his face burning.

 

“I’m not going to ask you why you did it, Alexander,” Magnus continued. His voice was like a shy whisper, and it went through Alec’s pores like flaming tongues. “I won’t repeat myself, but you know how I feel, and I’m going to ask you not to take advantage of that. I’m also part human, remember?”

 

Alec gulped down the lump in his throat. “I wouldn’t—I won’t— _No_.”

 

Magnus shoot a sad smile at him. “Thank you.”

 

“It’s not that I— _Magnus_ ,” Alec said, and licked his cracked lips. “I do like you, _like you_ , it’s just—they don’t know.”

 

A teasing smile formed in Magnus’ lips. “So you like me, _like me_? Are we twelve, now?” Alec blushed to the bone but didn’t look away from Magnus. His eyes were shining with something new, and he seemed more relaxed. “No one knows, then?”

 

“My sister—and Clary, thanks to that freaking demon,” Alec muttered. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

 

Magnus chuckled. “Jace?”

 

“I don’t know.” And it was the truth; even as they shared such a strong bond like the parabatai, to Alec, sometimes Jace was like an unreadable book. “He was there when the demon—he hasn’t said a word about it.”

 

Magnus hummed. Alec feared the following question. “And… do you like him, like him as well?”

 

Alec bumped his knee against Magnus’ thigh. “He’s my brother, my parabatai. I—I don’t know. The demon said it, didn’t he? I love him.” _Am I in love with him?_ It was the first time Alec acknowledged such thing, and he avoided Magnus’ eyes. “I just—I don’t know.”

 

He heard Magnus taking a deep sigh. For some reason, it made him feel like a terrible person. “I understand,” Magnus said again.

 

This time, Alec gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thank you, and I’m sorry, I wish I could—”

 

“Don’t apologize, Alexander. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

 

It was the second time Magnus said those words. Alec took a handful of the grass between his fingers and pulled slightly. “And thank you, for this. Your magic is—” _Beautiful._ “Impressive.”

 

Magnus was quiet for a moment before standing up. “It’s late.”

 

Alec scrambled to his feet. “Yes, I really should—“

 

“You don’t have to go,” Magnus said, hurriedly. “I only meant—this is about to wear off. The trees, I mean. You could stay.”

 

The moment Alec blinked, the trees were gone, and he found himself again standing on top of a very-expensive-looking rug. It made Alec’s head spin. Magnus, however, was right there in front of him, completely unfazed.

 

“The sudden change of environment can cause some unsteadiness, I forgot to warn you,” Magnus apologized, taking Alec’s hand into his own and covering it with his long, ringed fingers. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just tired.”

 

Magnus made them walk across the book-covered halls, and back to the lounge room with the furry sofas and exotic tapestry. Alec took a look at his phone. His mother had called him at least five times, and Izzy had texted him twice.

 

“Are you in trouble?” Magnus asked.

 

 _I’m screwed_. He deleted everything. “No.”

 

“You, Alexander, can’t lie for your life,” Magnus laughed. “So, are you?”

 

“In trouble? I just told you—”

 

“Staying, I mean.”

 

Alec felt the floor shake. “Oh. I… _guess_? May I?”

 

Magnus’ smile had the power of a thousand burning suns. “Mi casa es tu casa and all that. There’s a spare bedroom—”

 

Alec narrowed his eyes. “Is there, or are you going to steal it from a suburban house?”

 

Magnus raised both hands in surrender. “You got me. I’d offer you my bed, but mister Garroway is using it at the moment.”

 

“It’s okay, I’ll just—” Alec sprawled across one particularly soft and enormous couch. “Stay here.”

 

“Fair enough,” Magnus said, and with a snap of his fingers, a thick blanket appeared from nowhere, covering Alec’s body like a cloudy dream. “I didn’t steal it,” he said when Alec shoot him a suspicious look. “This one is mine, I promise.”

 

Alec knew it was true when he burrowed his nose into the fabric. “And you?”

 

“I barely sleep, I’ll be fine.”

 

“Liar,” Alec muttered, and fell asleep right away.

 

/*\

 

There was a clanking sound somewhere, and Alec felt his body jerk up even before his eyes could open completely. His right hand went immediately to his back, but there was nothing there. He wasn’t carrying his Seraph blade. He was defenseless. 

 

Where the hell was he?

 

“Damn cat.”

 

_Oh._

 

Alec blinked five times in a row, and the whole room made sense.

 

“Magnus?” he asked, his voice raspy from sleep.

 

The warlock appeared from behind a sliding door, wearing black satin pajama bottoms and a black-and-gold camo shirt. His hair was already combed in spikes going everywhere, and Alec could notice a line of glitter under those slanted eyes. “Good morning!” he greeted with so much enthusiasm it made Alec _giggle_ in his insides “I apologize for the scandal; Chairman Meow just wants your attention.”

 

“Chairman—what?”

 

“My cat. He’s— _ah_ , there he is,” Magnus said, pointing at a small, tabby cat, sat on top of one of the stools; he was looking directly at Alec. “He’s been very impatient, waiting for you to wake up.”

 

Alec rubbed his eyes and looked back at the cat; Chairman Meow examined him for a few seconds before jumping off the stool and padding towards where Alec was seated, taking a swift leap from the floor to the couch and then to Alec’s lap. The cat rubbed his head against Alec’s stomach, asking to be pet.

 

Magnus let out an amused sound. “He likes you. That’s good.”

 

Alec stroke Chairman Meow’s ears. “It is?” he asked. The only cat he knew was Church, and he was a grouchy, moody thing, so Alec kept his distance. This cat, however— “He’s _nice_.”

 

“Not to everyone, I must say, but it’s a good thing he likes you,” Magnus said, a teasing tone in his voice. When Alec looked at him, Magnus was already walking through the sliding doors. “I never date anyone my cat doesn’t like.”

 

Alec felt his entire face blush in embarrassment, but he distracted himself by petting the cat some more and then checking his phone again. **_Mom isn’t happy,_** Izzy said ** _. And you and I are gonna have a long talk_**. Alec grimaced. He typed down a quick answer: **_On my way_**. He took the cat in his arm and carried him all the way through the sliding doors; they led to the kitchen, and Magnus was there, sat at the table, a thick book splayed in front of him.

 

He was certainly a sight.

 

Alec cleared his throat. “Err—”

 

“I was about to get some breakfast,” Magnus said, without looking up. “Would you like some?”

 

“Were you gonna make it or steal it?” Alec asked, amused.

 

“I’m perfectly capable of making eggs and bacon, Alexander, thank you very much,” Magnus said, pretending to be insulted. “It’s a waste of time, I must say; it’d be easier to just grab it from Taki’s and leave a generous tip.”

 

Alec laughed. “You’re a terrible human being,” he said.

 

“Good thing I’m also part demon, right?” Magnus winked, and Alec felt like a twelve-year-old boy. “Would you like coffee or juice? I have chai teabags somewhere—“

 

“Err—I can’t stay,” Alec said. “My mother isn’t the most joyous person at the moment, and Isabelle is poking her nose in my personal life, which—“ he took a deep breath, and Magnus kept his attention fixed on him, waiting for the rest. “It can’t happen. At least, not for now.”

 

Magnus nodded. “I understand. You want your privacy.”

 

“We barely have such thing at the Institute.”

 

“You could use your happy place, you know? That’s why it’s there.” Magnus rose to his feet and walked towards Alec. When he was in front of him, he placed a gentle hand on Alec’s lower back; Alec managed not to drop dead right in front of him. “Shall we?”

 

They reached the front door in no time, Chairman Meow jumping off Alec’s arms and speeding across the hall.

 

Alec felt numb, and his mouth had gone dryer than sandpaper. He cleared his throat. “Err—thank you. For, you know—everything.”

 

Magnus smiled at him. “Thank you to you, too. Without you, mister Garroway wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale. A werewolf saved by a warlock and a Shadowhunter.”

 

“That sounds like a cool story,” Alec said, grinning.

 

Then, silence. Magnus’ eyes were wide and pleading, just like when he said those words. _You’ve unlocked something in me_. Alec could feel it, as well. He spoke, trying to choose his words wisely. “My mother—“

 

Magnus raised a hand. “You don’t have to explain.”

 

“No, hold on I—I need to tell you,” Alec rushed in, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I feel like I have to tell you, okay?” When Magnus closed his mouth shut, Alec carried on. 

“My mother— she’s asking me to do this thing, you see? And I’m not sure if I— That’s why I _can’t_. I _really_ like you, Magnus, I do, but she—“

 

Magnus’ hand reached Alec’s face, and for a brief instant, Alec thought he’d do the same thing he did before: silencing his rambling with his index finger, floating inches above his mouth. But no, Magnus reached up and placed his palm against Alec’s cheek, a thumb stroking very gently the skin it was able to reach. Alec’s legs wavered.

 

He spoke very softly, his eyes never leaving Alec’s. “I understand, Alexander. There’s no rush.”

 

“You’re so infuriatingly understanding, did you know that?” Alec said, half happy, half sad. And he did the unthinkable: he turned his head, and without a second thought, without taking his eyes away from Magnus, he kissed the palm.

 

Magnus’ breath quickened, but he kept his distance. “And you’re full of surprises, Alexander. Did you know that?”

 

Alec stood there, Magnus’ warm palm against his mouth. “Can I come again, sometime?”

 

“You’re always welcome here.”

 

“I’ll call you.”

 

Magnus nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

 

Alec placed one last kiss to Magnus’ palm, and rushed down the stairs, only glancing back once. The sun was barely out: it was a cloudy day in Brooklyn. Alec could feel himself smiling as we walked towards the Institute.

 

/*\

 

“And where exactly do you think you’re going?”

 

Alec stopped dead on his feet. _Crap_.

 

“Isabelle,” Alec greeted with a hiss; he was trying to slither to his bedroom without causing too much of a fuzz. He didn’t need that kind of unwanted attention. “Keep your voice down.”

 

Izzy looked at him curiously. “You just got here?”

 

With a fake cough, Alec said, “Yeah, where’s mother?”

 

“Idris. She’ll be back tomorrow. And you—“ Izzy roamed Alec’s body in amusement. “You’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Where _were_ you?”

 

Alec muttered a single word.

 

Izzy’s eyebrows reached her hairline. “You slept at Magnus’ place?” she asks, a high note in her voice betraying her nonchalance.

 

Alec can’t look at her. “Didn’t do much sleeping.”

 

“Really?”

 

“I’m going to my room,” Alec said, turning his back on her. “Jace and Clary are here?”

 

“Alec, don’t change the subject. Tell me everything.”

 

Alec let out an exasperated sight. “We didn’t do much, to be honest.” _Liar_. “We just talked.”

 

Izzy narrowed her eyes. “And… you’re gonna see him again?”

 

“That’s not of your business,” he said, and walked directly to his room. He could hear the voice of his sister screaming _You are! Oh, by the Angel!_ before closing the door.

 

He dug out his phone and wrote:

 

**_Dinner on Friday?_ **

 

The answer came in seconds later:

 

**_I’ll cook ;)_ **

 

Alec went into the shower with a goofy smile plastered all over his face.


End file.
